HEARTLESS

A Staged ReadingSeptember 21, 2pmThe Warner Studio Theatre

The origin of "Heartless" had its roots in the personal relationships developed during the production of "A Few Good Men." Six gentlemen from the IDOC (Indiana Department of Corrections) Reentry Center earned a role in the play and were also an integral part of the marching Marine Corps. These same men, along with a few others, were also donating their time and skills to building sets for our numerous productions.As "A Few Good Men" was wrapping up, several of the Reentry crew asked "What are we doing next?" One gentleman, Antronne Crocket, said "‘I have a short story I want to share with you."

"Heartless" is a short story of isolation, yet one of ultimate redemption as well. A baby has an omnipotent understanding; his life is day to day...he sees each day of his life as a blessing and counts in ascending order. Each of the actual men represented in our play have traveled long and far. Each is on his final step to being released-reentered into the real world; they count days (of course) in descending order. It soon occurred to us we could weave these two parallel worlds together and use the heartfelt story of the baby to illustrate the profound journey of these men.

Warden Bowen and his staff at IDOC/Reentry Center are to be thanked for their devotion to making this all possible. A special mention to Sgt. Lisa Stewart, Cristina Stobaugh, and Maria Kaczmarek for their assistance with all the necessary logistics and communication.